Roses can be stripped of their winter protection when the ground is frost-free and has already warmed up slightly. It is best to choose a day with an overcast sky so that the plants can acclimate in peace.
Roses can be awakened from their hibernation when the hazelnut blossoms
Remove roses planted in autumn earlier
The cover with fir or spruce brushwood can be removed as early as March, with the heaped-up earth still remaining. Depending on the climate zone, the mounding takes place in milder regions either with the hazelnut blossom or, if you live in a climatically harsher area, together with the forsythia blossom. But you can also use the sprouting that has already taken place: If the rose already has several new shoots of about 10 centimeters in length, you can heap them off.
When roses need longer protection
Roses planted in autumn and older roses (and thus more established at their location) can be freed from their winter protection earlier than specimens planted in spring or bare-rooted specimens. For spring plantings, the rule is that they must remain piled up for at least four weeks. The measure applies less to protection against the cold, but rather to protect the plant from drying out.
Leaf mulch is not suitable as winter protection for roses
Many a hobby gardener uses leaves to protect the roses from winter frost. It is indeed nice and warm under such a mulch (which usually also attracts mice), but fungal spores, in particular those of black soot, can also hibernate there. For this reason, roses should not be covered with leaf mulch, but instead covered with fir branches if possible. Spruce twigs are also suitable, but the protection here does not last very long: the twigs lose their needles quite quickly.
Further rose care in spring
After the hilling, the further care of the roses takes place. The demanding plants must also be pruned and fertilized in early spring so that the new shoots are strong and a rich flowering can be expected. Spring pruning is not the same for every rose, but depends on the variety - some roses need a harder pruning, while others just need to be cared for. The annual start-up fertilization is best done with organic fertilizer, whereby - if you pile up your roses with compost and / or manure - you distribute this thoroughly in the bed and work it into the soil. Here, the fertilization must be done early, since the active ingredients from organic fertilizer are only available to the plant after some time.
tips
So that you do not damage the first tender shoots of the rose when removing the soil, first spread the soil carefully with your fingers. Then spread them evenly over the bed with a rake.